Swiss entrepreneur plans model city for refugees
Swiss entrepreneur plans model city for refugees
A record number of people are fleeing their homes around the world. Entrepreneur Christian Kälin now wants to build a new Singapore for displaced people. He says this will let them rebuild their lives – while also making investors money.
Albert Steck, NZZ am Sonntag
September 21, 2022
A thriving city for refugees: What Christian Kälin is striving for seems utopian. But the entrepreneur wants to prove that the plan can succeed. He sees his «Andan Free Global City» not only as a humanitarian project, but also as a profitable business idea.
His model would turn the way refugees are treated completely upside down. Today, they are recipients of grants, and are perceived as a problem. They often live crammed in barracks or tents and without prospects for the future. In Kälin’s city, on the other hand, they would be motivated workers and founders of businesses who would build new lives for themselves – just like immigrants in the U.S. used to be.
«Initially, I was laughed at for the idea,» Kälin says. “People thought my project was hopeless.» Then, in a second phase, they looked for reasons that it would fail, he adds. Now, however, he is experiencing a new phase: «Governments and investors are approaching me and showing interest.»
Last week, for example, Kälin was scheduled to spend two days presenting his concept to a high-ranking government delegation. «Even the prime minister will talk to us,» he says. He adds that he is not allowed to reveal the name of the country; the discussions are confidential. He can say only this much: It is a neighbor of the EU. He is also in talks with representatives of the U.N. and the World Economic Forum.
Kälin attributes the increased interest in large part to the war in Ukraine. «Europe is experiencing a dramatic refugee crisis on its own continent. This shows people that we need new solutions,» he says.
Soon to be hundreds of millions
This year, the number of displaced people around the world will exceed 100 million for the first time. Until a few years ago, there were only half that many. The increase will continue, driven by climate change and political unrest in many regions. According to U.N. estimates, several hundred million refugees can be expected in the future.
Today, most of these people live in camps or slums. The largest such camp is in Bangladesh: Kutupalong has existed since 1991, and today accommodates over 600,000 people on an area the size of the city of Baden. Khalid Koser, a Maastricht University professor and member of the Andan Foundation board of trustees who has written numerous books on migration, says that people stranded in such camps stay there for an average of 17 years. «Today, our old models for dealing with refugees don’t work anymore,» Koser says.
The most obvious solution would be an early return home, Koser notes. But that is not possible with climate refugees. Moreover, many conflicts last for decades. The second option is resettlement in richer countries, but this cannot accommodate the current population of refugees – indeed, fewer than 100,000 people benefit from repatriation each year. The third solution, local integration, also has its limits, mainly because of political resistance.
The current practice of confining displaced people in camps is the worst of all options, the migration expert says. «It leads to enormous psychological damage and fuels violence and crime,» Koser says. He notes that minors make up a large proportion of this population, with around 2 million having been born during the course of their parents’ flight. «For me, the most compelling thing about Kälin’s approach is that he doesn’t see refugees as a cost factor, but recognizes them as an entrepreneurial opportunity.» That’s why it’s the right idea to bring private investors into play, Koser adds.
Migration has always been with us
Kälin even describes his concept as a basic principle of human development. «Many nations emerged through migration. The Helvetians also had this fate,» he says. The difference with regard to the past is that today’s system is based on national borders, he adds. In addition, development has shifted from the countryside to urban centers, he says.
This is why his model is based on modern city-states such as Singapore, Hong Kong or Dubai. «Immigrants have always been successful entrepreneurs, because their biographies have shaped them into real artists of survival,» Kälin says. He believes that it is crucial that these people are provided with the right conditions to thrive.
Earlier in his life, Kälin studied law, specializing in constitutional and immigration law. In parallel, he became an entrepreneur, joining the London-based firm Henley & Partners. He built this firm into the world’s largest specialist in citizenship and residence planning, earning himself the nickname of the «Passport King.» The business of acquiring residence and citizenship via investment originated in Canada and the Caribbean. However, many European countries today also offer such «golden visas,» which bring billions of dollars of revenue to these states every year.
Kälin and his firm are active on both sides. He advises private individuals who want to acquire visas as well as the states that offer such programs. As a result, he has access to many high-profile government contacts who are now opening doors for him on the project. «The biggest challenge is finding a country that will provide an uninhabited or sparsely populated territory for an autonomous city,» he says.
Moreover, such a city will not be cheap to build. Kälin expects the first phase to involve investments of between CHF 500 million and CHF 700 million. Initially, several tens of thousands of people could live there – with the prospect that it might ultimately become a city of millions. Private financing is therefore crucial to the success of such a large project, says entrepreneur Titus Gebel. «Private investors, unlike the state, can consciously deploy risk capital.»
Gebel, who was born in Germany, is also the founder of the Free Cities Foundation, which works to establish special economic zones in various countries, following the example of Shenzhen in China or the European free cities in the Middle Ages. «The establishment of such a city offers fantastic business opportunities, starting with the construction of houses and ranging to the establishment of infrastructure, telecommunications and information technology.» Ultimately, the state would also benefit from the resulting economic boom, he adds.
A model city for refugees could also set new standards in sustainability, adds Kälin. «Only with innovative cities can we tackle the huge ecological problems. Moreover, the trend toward urbanization will continue to grow strongly in many countries.»
Despite the many arguments in favor of his vision, Kälin is aware that the city may never be built. But he is willing to take that risk. His commitment is already worthwhile if he can point out ways to a better and more humane refugee policy, he says. «My goal is draw on the recipes for success used by immigrant nations such as the United States, Australia, Canada, but also Switzerland.»
The Statue of Liberty in New York stands as a symbol for this, says Kälin. Erected as the «mother of all displaced people,» the statue’s inscription reads: «Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.» Kälin says he could imagine such a motto for his refugee city as well.
See link to article:
https://www.nzz.ch/english/swiss-entrepreneur-plans-model-city-for-refugees-ld.1703647